Witnessing, and subsequently trying to understand, the horrors of the world through a child’s perspective can be terrifying, even for adults. In the horror short, ‘Where the Witch Lives,’ viewers, much like its 12-year-old protagonist Cassie, can discern that something is wrong, but pinning down exactly what is a complicated process.

Cassie’s starting to realize that her family’s dynamic and circumstances are harrowingly changing. In doing so, she guides the movie’s older audience in her ensuing fight for survival and its grim consequences.

Producer Maude Michaud from the drama’s production company, Quirk Films, and production company Les Films du 3 Mars are presenting the gothic family short. ‘Where the Witch Lives’ stars Lake Delisle (‘Blood Quantum,’ ‘Rustic Oracle’) as Cassie, as well as Catherine Bérubé (‘Cold’), Margaux Vaillaincourt and Alex Rice (‘The Twilight Saga’).

The movie was co-written and directed by Muriel Sharp, the co-winner of the Fantasia Gold Award for best Canadian short in 2020 for ‘Don’t Text Back.’ The filmmaker’s latest short was presented as a World Premiere on Monday, July 18 at 9:30pm ET, as part of the Septentrion Shadows Program during the 2022 Fantasia International Film Festival. ‘Where the Witch Lives’ screened at ate festival with co-scribe-helmer Berkley Brady’s horror feature film, ‘Dark Nature.’

‘Where the Witch Lives’ is a twisted coming of age story that follows Cassie as she moves into an old isolated house with her newly-single mother and her little sister. As they begin to settle in, Cassie begins to suspects that her family is being tormented by the spirit of a sadistic River Witch.

The drama was shot on location in a gothic mansion in rural Quebec. The project was also filmed with a talented crew of primarily women and LGBTQ+ artists.

Sharp generously took the time the week after ‘Where the Witch Lives’ had its World premiere at Fantasia to talk about penning and directing the short during an exclusive interview over Zoom. Watch the interview with the filmmaker in the above video.